Clifford Chance has hired Kirkland & Ellis’ Hong Kong funds partner Liyong Xing, marking the third partner to leave Kirkland Hong Kong this year.
Xing advises global and Asian fund sponsors on the structuring, formation and governance of private investment funds across a variety of strategies, including venture capital, growth capital, buyout, real estate, infrastructure, secondaries and co-investment.
Xing has particular expertise advising on healthcare-related mandates, assisting with fund-raising activities for global fund managers.
In 2020, she advised China-focused healthcare sponsor, Sherpa Healthcare Partners, on its US$200 million debut U.S. dollar healthcare fund raising. In 2019, she acted for Vertex Ventures in closing of its fourth China-focused venture capital fund, and separately for LYFE Capital, another China-focused healthcare sponsor, on the US$550 million fundraising of its third U.S. dollar healthcare fund.
“We are very excited to welcome Liyong to the team. Her impressive track record of work on China focused funds and depth of experience, including advising on the formation and structuring of technology and healthcare focused investment funds in Greater China, makes her an excellent fit for our practice,” commented Andrew Crook, head of Clifford Chance’s corporate practice in Asia Pacific.
Xing joined Kirkland & Ellis from Shearman & Sterling as an associate in 2014, and was made partner four years later. She spent just over three years at the New York and Hong Kong offices of Shearman & Sterling.
Qualified in New York and Hong Kong, Xing graduated from Peking University and obtained her Juris Doctor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Some of Clifford Chance’s latest hires include that of Shearman & Sterling’s capital markets partner, Alan Yeung, Soo Khim Keoy from Withers and Jonathan Wong from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.
Earlier this year, Kirkland & Ellis also lost its Hong Kong securities partner Howie Farn to Freshfields. Farn’s departure followed that of former partner Li-Chien Wong, who left to join the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as managing director and co-head of initial public offering.
Last year, the firm has also seen the departures of Xiaoxi Lin to Linklaters, Michael Rackham to Latham & Watkins in Singapore and Daniel Margulies to Dechert.
The firm did also make a couple of senior additions – Brian Ho, a veteran regulator at the Securities & Futures Commission in Hong Kong joined the firm in February. Last year the firm also replenished its capital markets team with Sidley Austin partner, Mengyu Lu.
Kirkland & Ellis did not respond to a request for comment.
